Two weeks ago, Carlos Sainz had to leave the track in Jeddah due to appendicitis, and now the Spaniard is on the front row of the starting grid for the Australian Grand Prix, next to Max Verstappen and ahead of a Charles Leclerc completely healthy. .
We are aware of the impressive performance of the pilot, who still does not have a seat for next season.
How was the classification?
And where is Ferrari’s pole position? F1 qualifying for Verstappen, Hamilton fails
To Melbourne: no training
Until recently it was unclear whether Sainz could compete in this classification. After the operation, Carlos did not train in the simulator or in the gym, and in free races he used special pads so that the seat belts would exert less pressure on the scar. The training went without problems and the Spaniard decided to continue the weekend.
That’s right! Sainz completed the first and second segments with the best time, and in the final he became second, losing to Verstappen by just over a quarter of a second. In the last attempt in Q3, Carlos lost around a tenth and a half; with them, the Spaniard still would not have surpassed Max, but he would have been even closer to the current champion.
Sainz after qualifying in Melbourne
Photo: twitter.com/ScuderiaFerrari
Due to the problems of other drivers, Sainz’s performance looks even better. Thus, Sergio Pérez made a mistake in the first corner, where he lost even more than Sainz, and then received a penalty. Charles Leclerc made a mistake on the first attempt and abandoned the second after a breakdown in one of the corners. As a result, fifth place, 0.25 seconds behind Sainz.
“It’s hard to believe that after this we were in the front row! I’m very happy to have fought with Red Bull this time. “I won’t lie, I’m still not in the most comfortable state,” Carlos admitted. — During overloads, it seems that the entire interior moves more than usual. You have to tighten your core, but you get used to it.”
Logan Sargent was out of the race:
An F1 driver crashed his car… and because of him, his teammate was left without a Grand Prix! Is this even fair?
Sainz does not have a place for next year
The 2024 season, despite health problems, Sainz started brilliantly. The Spaniard took the podium in Bahrain and won the vote for Driver of the Day, and now, after leaving the hospital, he found himself closer to the championship leader and the main favorite; Given the conditions, one could hardly ask for more from the driver.
However, Carlos still does not have a place for next year. Lewis Hamilton will replace Sainz at Ferrari in 2025, and the Spaniard has yet to find a new team. However, if the Spaniard continues to act in the same spirit, all doors will be open for him in the paddock. With the exception of the Scuderia and McLaren, where the composition of the drivers has already been decided.
Carlos Sainz
Photo: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
Sainz is already being called a candidate to fill the vacant position at Mercedes. It is Sainz who now looks the best replacement for both Alonso at Aston Martin and Perez if they decide to give him up at Red Bull, especially as neither Tsunoda nor Riccardo Helmut Marko have impressed yet. In addition, there have been rumors for some time about Audi’s interest in Carlos.
This season is Sainz’s tenth in Formula 1, he has won races and been on the podium almost 20 times. In addition to Ferrari, Carlos has worked with McLaren, Renault and Red Bull in his career and has enormous experience. Now the Spaniard is capable of becoming the leader of the team, and his next contract, regardless of who he signs it with, will be fateful for the driver.
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